It had been 23 days since Michigan basketball took to the court before COVID-19 protocols shut down all of Michigan athletics. Coming back to the court, after two weeks of not practicing, the Wolverines had the tall task of taking on Wisconsin, a team it particularly has struggled against in Madison.
So, what kind of Michigan team would we see on Sunday afternoon?
It turns out, pretty much as expected. Michigan kept it close for a few, but the Badgers pulled away a bit in the first half. The question then would be how the maize and blue — often a second-half team — would respond from there? Especially considering Michigan shot just 34% in the first, while Wisconsin shot 54% — leading to 39 points in the first 20 minutes.
Michigan certainly picked it up in the second half, cutting what was a 12-point deficit to just 3. But the Badgers kept battling, and the game managed to be a back-and-forth, thanks to the Wolverines defense playing better in the latter half.
The maize and blue finally got a one-point lead, but Wisconsin stretched it back to three. The game continued to see-saw, but behind Hunter Dickinson and Isaiah Livers, Michigan came back and won in Madison, 67-59.
Here are our five takeaways from the game.